Stout call for St Pat's holiday in US (Guinness co. pushes for official holiday status )

The BBC ^ | February 15, 2008 | Johnny Caldwell

[Stoat]

Stout call for St Pat's holiday in US

 

By Johnny Caldwell
BBC News

 

Guinness is very popular on St Patrick's Day

Guinness has launched a campaign to have St Patrick's Day officially recognised as a holiday in the US.

The campaign is centred around a petition, which it hopes one million people will sign or endorse by midnight on Sunday 16 March.

It will then be presented to Congress the following day, which of course any Irish man, woman, child or indeed self-respecting plastic paddy will of course know is St Patrick's Day.

The petition can be signed in bars and off-licences - excuse my American 'liquor stores' - across the US as well as online.

However, despite millions of Americans claiming to have at least a little bit of Irish in them, the chances of St Patrick's Day being a national holiday in the US are thought to be low.

It would, cultural analysts say, open the flood gates for people of every nationality - actual and adopted - to call for their particular holidays 'back home' to be recognised with a holiday.

Stout suppers

Meanwhile, it has emerged that rumours of a demise in the popularity of the black stuff as former stout suppers opt for wine and lighter beers appear to have been greatly exaggerated.

Figures from the first six months of 2007 show that Guinness sales increased by 3% in pubs in Ireland. It also increased its share in the off-licence sector.

The petition can be endorsed online

But rumours still prevail about whether Guinness may actually move from its world-famous home, St James Gate in Dublin, and relocate elsewhere in the city or indeed further afield.

A company spokesman has been quoted as saying "we're still a few months away from a final decision".

Subsequently, it appears the issue, like a pint of Guinness, may take a while to settle...

For further information about Guinness' campaign to have St Patrick's Day officially recognised as a hoilday in the US, go to www.Proposition317.com

[Tax-chick]

Ireland ping! Have a Guinness, everyone!

[wideawake]

If the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the USA does not consider Saint Patrick's Day a holy day of obligation, why would the federal government consider it an official holiday?

It's purely a marketing gimmick - as evidenced by the fact that their petition is not be coordinated on a state by state basis for presentation to state legislatures.

[wideawake]

Further, technically, Padraig was not officially canonized — not by a pope in the usually understood meaning. So these beer guys are seeking an official holiday (holy day) for an unofficial saint.

Incorrect.

Since Patrick is commemorated as a saint in the liturgy of the Catholic Church he is an "official" saint.

The process of formal juridical canonization was not instituted until the tenth century.

In other words, none of the Apostles and Fathers of the Church were ever juridically canonized, but no one can say that Peter and Paul are not official saints of the Church.

All canonization means is that the Church acknowledges that the sanctity of an individual is so clearly in evidence that it will cause no scandal to publicly acknowledge him in the Mass and other liturgies. Thousands of saints were recognized in the Church's liturgical calendar for centuries before there was a juridical process for incorporating new saints into the liturgy.

[SlapHappyPappy]

How about we restore Lincoln and Washington’s birthdays and then decide if we want another holiday.

[GOP_Raider]

(A drinking holiday?? Brilliant!)

Beer Ping!

A low to medium ping list aimed at all of us who, well, love our beer…

FReepmail rzeznikj at stout or GOP_Raider to be added or struck from the list…

[Stoat]

Thank you both very much for pinging your lists  :-)

[dynachrome]